Charles h



(No Model.) i

0. H. SMITH.

SNAP HOOK. I No. 535,604. Patented Mar. 12, 1895.

' NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. SMITH, OF NEWV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO 0. B.

NORTH & 00., OF SAME PLACE.

SNAP-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 535,604, dated March 12, 1895. Application filed $eptember 25 1894 Serial No. 524,066. (No model.)

T0 at whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. SMITH, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Snap-Hooks; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a side View of a snap hook; Fig. 2, a top View of the same; Fig. 3, a side view, with the rear portion of the hook in section to illustrate the invention; Fig. 4C, a top view of the hook, with the combined spring and tongue removed; Fig. 5, a section on the line ab of Fig. 2; Fig. 6, a perspective view of the combined spring and tongue.

This invention relates to an improvement in snap hooks, and particularly to that class in which the tongue is formed from a strip of sheet metal, one end of which is bent to take a bearing in the body of the hook, the natural elasticity of the metal answering the requirements of a spring.

In the more general construction of hooks of this class, and particularly in the larger sizes, it is sometimes possible to remove the spring from the hook after the parts have been assembled. It is noticed that, in removing springs of this character, the rear end must first be depressed in order to release the tongue from the body. Again, it has generally been necessary in order to hold the tongue in position, to form a sharp bend in the extreme end of the shorter arm of the spring, to do which has necessitated cutting the strip of a length considerably greater than the length required for the finished article, and also caused considerable loss through imperfect bending.

The object of this invention is to overcome these difticulties, and it consists in the construction hereinafter described and particularly recited in the claim.

The hook consists of a body A, having a nose B at one end and an eye or loop C at the opposite end. The body at the rear or loop end is recessed, forming cheeks D, E. From of the tongue.

one cheek, as D, a stud F extends into the said recess, and is preferably formed near the lower edge thereof. On the lower edge of the opposite cheek, as E, is a lip G, which extends slightly into the recess in the body of the hook, as shown in Fig. 5. Forward of the recess the body is constructed with a ledge or hearing H. It will be understood that the body thus described is cast complete, the cheeks being open and the nose of the hook distorted, as is usual in casting this class of hooks. The tongue I consists of a strip of sheet metal, bent into substantially U-shape, the longer leg forming the tongue proper and the shorter leg J constructed with .aslight bend K at its forward end, to aid in holding the tongue in position. This tongue is inserted into the body from the rear side while the cheeks are in the open position, the shorter leg J passing upward between the cheek D and the ledge or bearing H, upon which the bend K rests. The cheeks being open permits the spring to pass the lip G. The tongue is then pressed down ward and the nose 1B of the hook turned into position, as seen in Fig. 3, so that its extreme end stands over the end The cheeks are then closed, as shown in Fig. '5, in which position the lip G extends into the recess and under the said spring, and as shown in Fig. 5, thus positively preventing the depression of the rear end of the tongue and spring, and consequently positively preventing the removal thereof. By placing the stud F near the bottom of the recess, the shorter arm of the combined spring and tongue has its bearing thereon, thus permitting a greater amount of elasticity of the spring than could be accomplished with the said stud near the top of the recess, and so that the longer leg of the combined spring.

and tongue makes its bearing thereon. By forming the lip G to prevent the downward movement of the combined spring and tongue, I am enabled to form the shorter arm. with a very slight curve, it only being necessary that 9 5 the end shall be curved sufficiently to take a bearing upon the ledge H, and this for thereason that by forming the said-lip G, which prevents the downward movement of the spring, rearward movement is rendered im- IOO possible, as it is apparent that, until the spring is first moved downward, it cannot be moved rearward.

I am aware that lugs or wings have been formed at the edges of the cheeks to prevent movement of the spring. I do not, therefore, Wish to be understood as claiming such construction broadly, but

What I do claim is-- The herein described snap hook, consisting of a body having a hook at one end and a loop at the opposite end, said body constructed with a recess at the loop end, said recess forrn ing a bearing for the short leg of the tongue and cheeks between which the tongue is arranged, one of said cheeks provided with a lip extending inwardly from its lower edge, the other cheek provided near its lower edge with a stud extending inwardly and a combined spring and tongue, the shorter leg of which stands between said stud and lip and is hooked at its outer end to engage with said bearing, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscrib- 25 ing witnesses.

CHARLES H. SMITH.

WVitnesses:

GEO. W. KEELER, GEO. N. SHINER. 

